Antidiabetic Potentials of Aqueous Extracts of Acacia nilotica (Fabaceae), Anisopus manni (Asclepiadaceae) and a Recipe Comprising the Two Plants in Experimental Rats doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v2i5.7

Abstract

The seeds of Acacia nilotica (Leguninosae), and leaves of Anisopus manni (Asdepiadaceae) are prescribed traditionally as remedy for diabetes mellitus both individually and in combination as a recipe. This study evaluated the hypoglycaemic and antidiabetic activity of the aqueous extracts of the individual parts of the plants and their recipe in experimental rats. Aqueous extracts of the
different plants parts and their recipe were orally administered to normoglycaemic, glucoseinduced hyperglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats and their blood glucose monitored over a period of 4 hours. The Acacia nilotica aqueous extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) lowered the fasting blood glucose levels of the different experimental groups by 55.63%, 62.55%, 39.27%, respectively. For Anisopus manni aqueous extract the percentage reductions recorded were 59.4%, 61.0% and 56.5% respectively. The recipe of both plants produced a maximum fasting blood glucose reduction of 60.5%, 54.2%, and 36.5% for the groups respectively. The reductions observed when Acacia nilotica, Anisopus manni and the recipe were administered to alloxan-induced diabetics rats were 39.27%, 56.6%, and 36.5% respectively and were all higher than the 32.27% reduction seen in diabetic rats administered with the standard drug, glibenclamide. The study confirms the antidiabetic property of the individual plants and the recipe through a mechanism that can be both pancreatic and extra pancreatic.